Power from Waste

Power from Waste

Architectural model for the Environmental Industry….

In brief

MNL produced a lightweight scale architectural model for the Environmental Industry, utilising 3D printing, predominantly SLA/Sterolithography and SLS/Selective laser sintering. The model was produced in record time ready for a publicity day the following week.

Model requirements….

The model needed to be capable of illustrating the new technology to be used at the plant whilst demonstrating how the logistics of waste delivery to the plant is handled. The scale of the model needed to be large enough to show detail, yet small enough to enable the show piece to fit in a car. The perfect size combination chosen was approx 1.5m x 1.2m.
The model needed to be lightweight for portability and colour coded to demonstrate the specifics of the processes that make up the recycling plant. The model needed to be produced in just over a weeks’ time and built to a limited budget.

Urgent Timeline

Scaled down simplified data of the engineering plant was broken down into many sections representing the differing areas of the plant. Several SLA printers and SLS printers were utilised simultaneously to speed up the process.

Urgent Timeline

Once the pieces were built, supports were carefully removed. As budget was limited, parts were given a light sandblast and a quick coat of paint, the colour depicted the various sectors of the plant.The parts were mounted to a custom built display board. All in all the project was completed in just over a week

Urgent Timeline

Scaled down simplified data of the engineering plant was broken down into many sections representing the differing areas of the plant. Several SLA printers and SLS printers were utilised simultaneously to speed up the process.

Urgent Timeline

Once the pieces were built, supports were carefully removed. As budget was limited, parts were given a light sandblast and a quick coat of paint, the colour depicted the various sectors of the plant.The parts were mounted to a custom built display board. All in all the project was completed in just over a week

How it was achieved…

The model was essentially 3D printed using SLA models in an ABS type material, SLA being one of the most accurate processes and giving the best surface finish, for this project parts came straight off the machine with just support structure removed and spray painted the various colours as seen in the photos.
There was little surface finishing done to the SLA models apart from a light sand-blast to key the surface ready for acceptance of paint.
You may note that the large domes have no visible stepping at all. These were produced via 3D printed SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) MNL SLS material has an improved surface finish as the particle size of the powered is small thus improving visible surface area. and were the only areas that had some hand finishing by MNLs in house model making team to remove the stair stepping effect from the layering process.

Detailed Views

Areas of the machine, printed, supports removed and no surface finishing.

Gantry pieces, no finishing, straight from the SLA machine.

After printing this close up shows the layers from the process.

Not all projects require detailed surface finishing. The brief here was to produce a visual representation of the processing plant. The various differing processes of the plant were colour coded, indicating which areas did what.

Why MNL?….

One of the key facts for using MNL expertise was cost and time. Utilising MNLs in house 3D printing systems, both Sla and SLS, parts were produce in a very tight time frame. Five of MNL's in-house 3D printing machines were utilised at the same time to manufacture printed parts thus producing printed parts in only a matter of a few days.
Having a full team of model makers at MNLs disposal meant that as parts came off the machine they could be either hand finished or sprayed to the exact colour spec required , the base board was produced traditionally incorporating roadways, trees etc, making this an exact scale model.
The entire project was completed from data to desk in just over a week.

In conclusion….

Almost anyone can 3D print a model it’s what you do with it after is where MNL stands out from the crowd, with a selection of 3D Printing processes and a skilled model making team, make for a perfect project partnership.